Convertible table.



.J. M. DUCHEZ.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY @1914. 1,150,349. Patented Aug. 17,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :0 WASHINGTON, D c. i

1. M. DUCHEZ.

CONVERTIBLE TABLE.

APPLICATION FIL ED JULY 7, I914.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- amounted,

PH co., WASHINCIT emjpmk JEROME M. DUCHEZ, or SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

- CONVERTIBLE TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug; 17, 1915,

Application filed July 7, 1914. Serial No. 849,496.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JEROME M. 'DUOHEZ, citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CO11- vertible Tables, of whichthe followingis a specification.

My invention relates to convertible articles'of furniture and particularly to a struc ture convertible from a table into aboX 01'- a position to support the leaves when the leaves are unfolded to form a table and also to provide improved means for bracing these leaves, this means tending to prevent any sagging of the leaves or table top sections when the leaves are'expandedr A further ob]ect of the invention 1s to so construct my improved convertible table and chest that it will be very rigidly supported when the parts are shifted to form a table without, however, interferingwith the ready folding of the sections forming the table top into rectangular relation to provide a chest or box as described in my prior application. Other objects will appear in the course of the following description. V

teferring to these drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my construction unfolded so as to form a table. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an underside plan view of the construction when unfolded to form atable, the legs and bracing members, however, being in their folded positions. Fig.4. is a perspective view of the upper end of one of the legs and the means for connecting thesame to the table, the parts being separated and arranged in a group. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the sections forming the table top folded into a position to provide a box, or chest.

The object designed to be attained by the construction now to bedescribed is the provision of a structureso formed that it may be either converted into a table or into a receptacle adapted to be carried upon the running board of an automobile or other vehicle, the sections which when folded form the box or chest and which when unfolded form the table top being provided with foldable legs which when extended act to support the table top and which when folded into position parallel with the sections of the top act as additional braces or reinforcements to the box. 7 V

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that my table top or box-body, as the case may be, is formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending leaves designated 2. These leaves may be of any suitable material, such as wood, metal or composition and each of the sections or leaves has preferably the same length and width. The sections are hinged to each other as at 3. Preferably the hinges are continuous strap hinges, each extending transversely across the corresponding leaf or section :2 and attached thereto in anysuitable manner. It

' will be seen that the sections or leaves 2 being hinged together, as described, may be turned into a rectangular relation so as to form a top, bottom and opposite sides of a box or chest as shown in Fig, 5. i In order to form the ends of the chest or box I provide end pieces which are attached to the opposite ends of the sections or leaves 2.

Specifically each end piece, designated generally 4 in Fig. 5 is formed in sections, each of these sections being designated 5. There are as many end sections are leaves or sections 2, there being one of these end sections 5 attached at each end of each leaf 2 and depending therefrom as illustrated clearly in Fig. 2.

' As illustrated my convertible article is formed of four 1e ves or sections 2 and, therefore, there are eight end sections 5, two for each one of the leaves. Each of the sec- 0 as there in my prior application are provided for connecting these end pieces to each other when the leaves are closed into rectangular relation. It is to be particularly noted that the end sections 5 when the structure is folded up abut against each other so that the box when folded is supported against any I collapse or crushing strain. 7 Furthermore it will be seen that these end sections 5 when the device is unfolded as shown in Fig. 2, act as cleats or reinforcements to the several leaves. 7

The parts heretofore described are the same as the like parts illustrated and described in my'aforesaid application' The present device, however, differs from my former device in the manner of supporting the legs and in the manner of bracing the sections 2 when opened out to form a table Mounted at opposite ends of each end leaf 2 but out of alinement with each other are the brackets 6 illustrated in detail in Fig. l. Each of these brackets is formed of a strip of metal bent at right angles to provide a portion 7 which bears against the underside of the leaf 2 and a portion 8 extends downward from the leaf or perpendicularly thereto. The portion 7 is provided with the oppositely disposed depending ears 9 perforated at 10 while the portion 8 is provided with the inwardly extending spaced cars 11, each of which is formed with a perforation 12.

Each bracket is attached to the underside of the corresponding leaf 2 in any suitable manner with the portion 8 bearing against the adjacent end picce5, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.- The portion 8, as before stated, abuts against the corresponding end piece 5 and is bolted thereto or attached thereto by screws so that these brackets act to brace the corresponding end pieces and hold them in proper rectangular relation to the corresponding leaves 2.

The legs 13 are of such width that they may be readily received between the ears 11 and be prevented thereby from any lateral movement, these cars forming sockets, to receive the legs. The upper end of each leg 13 at the outside corner is slightly rounded to permit of the rotation of the legs. Attached to the inner face of each leg is a hinge leaf or plate 1 1, the upper end of which is formed with a bead, as at 15 to receive a pintle. The lower extremity of the leaf is formed with laterally disposed lugs 16 and 17, the lug 16 being perforated and the lug 17 being slotted for the purpose of holding the leg in a vertical position. 7 As a position parallel to the section to which the legs are attached. r

The bolt is formed at one end with a latching head beveled on one face and'on the opposite end with a reduced extension 19 which passes through the perforation in the lug 16 and normally restsgin a seat 11 formed in one of the ears'll, this seat being simply made to accommodate the extension 19. Thespring for actuating the bolt surrounds this extension 19 In order to brace the sections 2 when they are turned to a position to form a table top, I provide the bracing members 22. There are two of these bracingmembers and each is hingedly supported upon one of the end pieces 5 and between the pair of legs at that end ofthe table. The bracing members are hingedly supportedin such manner that they may be turned in a horizontal planef-rom the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2. When so turned the bracing members will extend beneath the ends of attached to the end leaves and are disposed between the adjacent legs so that when the buttons are rotated to the position shown in Fig. 3, they will engage the legs and hold the legs from outward movement. When the buttons are rotated into a position parallel to the legs, the legs may be moved down. These buttons may be mounted to rotate in any suitable manner, but as shown, each button has a base-plate 26, a tubular post 27 and the strip or button proper 28 which'is rotatably mounted on the post 27 by means of a rivet or bolt.

The use of my device will be obvious from what has gone before. l/Vhen it is desired to use the structure as a box the legs and bracing members are turned to the position shown in Fig. 3. The sections or leaves 2 are then folded into rectangular relation as shown in Fig. 3 and fastened in this rectangular relation. When it is desired to use plurality of legs, therefor,

the structu'reas a table the leaves or sections are unfolded from the position shown in /Fig. 3 and the legs are turned at right angles to the sections 2 and the bolts 19 are shot. When the legs have been shifted to the position shown in Fig. 9. it is possible to turn the braces 22 longitudinally of the table and in this position they will support the leaves 2.

A table constructed in accordance with my invention is extremely convenient, is thoroughly solid when used either as a table or abox and may be very cheaply constructed. WVhile I have illustrated what I believe to be the best form of my invention I do not wish to'be limited thereto as it is obvious that many changes might be made therein without departing from thespirit of'the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. The combination with a table top, a

and a plurality of brackets, one for each leg, each bracket being angular in form, one portion of the bracket being attached to the underside of the table topand the other portion extending at right angles thereto, the first named portion having oppositely disposed perforated ears and the second named portion having ears spaced fro-m each other, and a socket toreceive the leg, a hinge leaf attached to the leg, a pintle passing through the hinge leaf and through the first named ears, and a latch carried by the leg and engageable with the second named ears When the leg is turnedto a vertical position.

2. In a foldable table, a table top, composed of sections, each of said sections having end pieces extending at right angles thereto, brackets attached one to the underside at the ends of the outermost sections or leaves, each bracket being angular in form and having a portion bearing against the underside of the leaf and the inside face of the corresponding end piece and attached thereto, each bracket having ears extending inward from that portion attached to the end of the corresponding end piece, and legs, one for each bracket, pivotally mount ed upon the bracket and when turned to a vertical position engageable between said ears, and means for detachably locking the legs to said ears. 7

3. In a convertible table, a series of leaves forming a table top and hingedly connected toeach other, each of said leaves at its opposite ends being provided with downwardly extending end pieces, legs hingedly connected to the end leaves to fold thereagainst,

and braces hingedly mounted, each upon one of the end pieces of said end leaves andmovable in a plane parallel to the plane of the leaf to which'it is attached and into position against theinner faces of said end pieces. i

4.. In a convertible table, a series of leaves forming a table top and hingedly connected to each other, each of said leaves at its opposite ends being provided with downwardly extending end pieces, legs hingedly connected to the end leaves to fold thereagainst, braces hingedly mounted, each upon one of the end pieces of said end leaves and movable in a plane parallel to the plane of the leaf to which it is attached and into position against the inner faces of said end pieces, and means for holding said braces in engagement with said end pieces.

5. A. convertible article of furniture including end leaves and intermediate leaves hinged to each other for movement into a common plane or into an angular relation, end members attached to the'opposite ends of each of said leaves, legs hingedly connected to the end leaves and movable into a plane at right angles thereto or against the inner faces of the leaves, and braces hingedly mounted upon one of the end members of said end leaves and movable in a plane parallel to the plane of said end leaves to or from engagement with the end members of the other leaves. 7

6. In a convertible article of the character described, a plurality of leaves hinged to each other for movement into a common plane or into an angular relation, end pieces carried on the ends of each of said leaves and abutting against each other when the leaves are turned to an angular relation, legs hinged to the inner faces of the end leaves and braces movable into a position transverse thereto, and means for engaging the braces with the inner faces of the end pieces.

7. The combination with a member to be supported and a leg therefor, of a bracket angular inform to provide portions extending at right angles to each other, one of said portions having spaced ears forming a socket within which the leg may be received when the leg is in position at right angles to the object to be supported, a leaf hinge pivotally connected to the other of said portions and to which leg is attached, and

means carried by said leaf-hinge and engaging the ears on the first-named portion for forming a socket for the reception of the leg, one of,said latter ears being perforated, In testimony whereof I aflix my signature a leafdlginge pivogaily congielctedat one exlild in presence of two Witnesses. to sai rst-name ears, a 0 t carried on t e v j other end of the leaf and engageable With the v JEROME U [158] 5 perforation in the second-named ears, said Witnesses: leg being attached to the inner face ofthe E. A. BUSH, l ;1eaf. 'ROBT. H. 'I-IAWLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Tatents,

Washington, D. G. 

